Rick Taylor, an Arizona resident visiting his mother in Greene County, says a pack of aggressive dogs roams his mother's neighborhood. The one circled in the photo allegedly bit him. / Submitted photo

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Have an animal
problem?

In the city of Springfield, animal control services still exist. The phone number is 833-3592. In Greene County, it’s a little more complicated. For an ongoing dangerous situation, call 911 to summon the sheriff’s office. But for a past bite, call the county planning and zoning department at 868-4005. Health officials also encourage anyone who has been bitten by an animal to seek medical attention, regardless of whether the animal is a pet, because animals can carry disease.

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Rick Taylor isn’t angry because he got bitten.

He’s upset because the seemingly preventable attack would have ended differently in past years.

Not anymore.

Since the Greene County Commission cut funding for animal control in 2012, neighbors say a pack of aggressive dogs roams a stretch of East Farm Road 82 just north of Springfield in an unincorporated area of the county.

And no one will do anything about it.

County leaders say the current financial situation ties their hands.

But as officials sit down to talk about future funding and planning possibilities between the city and the county, Taylor’s recent injury illustrates a problem at the center of some discussion. At least one officeholder thinks a better animal control system ought to be at the forefront of the talks.

Officials admit the current system — or lack thereof, really — isn’t best for the community.

And as Taylor’s experience shows, it can be downright dangerous.

On a walk

A small neighborhood is nestled just off Missouri H where Farm Roads 82, 88 and 169 make a boxy “C.”

For a rural area, the houses are pretty close, although each has a significant amount of surrounding acreage.

It’s close enough for neighbors to wave at one another while checking the mail but far enough in between homes to maintain privacy.

Taylor’s mother, Francis Unruh, used to walk in that stretch of Farm Road 82 with a big stick for protection. She doesn’t even venture in that direction anymore.

But Taylor and his wife — who were visiting Unruh from Arizona — didn’t know about the dogs when they decided to take a little walk around the neighborhood Aug. 31.

The couple encountered the pack, about five dogs, Taylor says, and thought that leaving them alone and not looking straight in their eyes would be enough.

It wasn’t.

Taylor was bitten on the behind.

He didn’t think the bite had actually broken skin and was able to get far enough away that the animals didn’t pursue him. He assumes he got away from what they considered their “territory.”

It wasn’t until he was down the road that he realized that the animal had drawn some blood.

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The phone calls begin

Wanting to report the dog as a potential danger, Taylor called the sheriff’s office.

The deputy told him to call the health department, Taylor said.

Taylor was likely referred away from the sheriff’s department because the bite had already happened, explained Capt. David Johnson, speaking generally about dog bite situations.

Deputies will respond when an animal attack is happening, Johnson said. But called after the fact — Taylor was already safe at home — doesn’t fit the sheriff’s office definition of an active threat.

But Taylor said he was referred to the health department, so that’s where he called next.

Taylor called the animal control division, which is under the umbrella of the health department.

This is where wires got crossed for a second time, said Mike Brothers, the public information administrator for the health department.

The department is tasked with helping a person who has been bitten by an animal because of the potential risk of disease. But when Taylor called animal control, the person there thought he wanted the dog taken care of, Brothers said.

Because animal control officers no longer have authority on county land, Taylor was told to call county planning and zoning.

Brothers said the call to animal control should have triggered the health department getting involved.

“This is a fragmented system right now. It’s not ideal. We know that, and the county knows that,” Brothers said.

Health officials have since gotten involved to make sure that Taylor is OK.

Officials promise more discussion

After Taylor was eventually connected to the right people, the dog was quarantined per state law and was found not to have rabies or any other disease that might pose a risk.

But that wasn’t Taylor’s worry. He was concerned for the people in the area. Out of that concern, he contacted the News-Leader and shared his email interactions with county officials to illustrate the confusion.

“I don’t think that’s fair or appropriate” that the other dogs in the pack remain running loose, Taylor said.

“That sums up why I felt this needed to be discussed,” said Greene County Associate Commissioner Harold Bengsch.

He’s suggested that the newly formed Joint City and County Planning Task Force take up the issue of how animal control operations could be re-implemented in the county.

“I just think we need to take another look at it,” Bengsch said.

The task force is looking at a variety of issues that are confronting both the city of Springfield and the county. The group has agreed to take up animal control issues at an upcoming meeting.